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Kun Tharian
High Elf Corrupt Paladin Born: 163 BCE Died: 128 BCE Revived: 2134 ACE Birthplace: Vailen, Yrthral Allegiance: The Galactic Union Bio "Since the wall fell, I've watched my family and my homeland burnt to smoldering ashes. I've seen my people bound in chains by friend and enemy alike. In times such as these, there is no good. There is no evil. There is strength, or surrender." Born of the Deroden line in Yrthral, Kun joined the Holy Order at the age of fourteen. He loved his family and hated leaving them when he began his training. Only two of his four siblings would escape the Sacking of Yrthral. But Kun, perhaps even more so than other elves, knew--dreaded the heavy shadow of Hindrasha's Legion and the uneasy peace that existed with Nexus forces. Most of the gleaming cities from the Elven Golden Age were nothing but ruins scattered throughout the continent. Few were left. Kun knew his duty. He knew where he belonged. At least for a while. Sylvar I Pre-Sylvar I Even though she was the runt of the family, Kun's sister Vaeranna always was the most resourceful. Though forbidden by the vows he took when he became a trainee of the Holy Order, Kun always responded to the letters left under his cot at the Temple of the Two Moons by his sister's messenger. He never did find out how she did it. In fact, Vaeranna somehow managed to congragulate him on his bravery in the Battle for Shiian’s Tip during the conflict that became known as the Eureart Campaign long before news of the victory should have been able to reach Yrthral. When Lieutenant-Commander Veth'un fell to Shreik blades most of the trainee's panicked. Kun's determination in holding the line inspired others and the fortress held against the invaders. This gained the attention of Prime General Broxen Rath’Gen, who would take on the young paladin as his personal steward and squire. Under his guidance, Kun learned tactics, strategy, and the art of diplomacy alongside intense martial training. After four years, Kun was granted a month of rest before his official promotion to Commander of the Holy Order. = Sacking of Yrthral He could smell the smoke first. Then he could see it. Kun pressed his steed into a full gallop in the direction of his family home in Yrthral. All he found was four charred corpses and his younger brother Valtes in a pool of tears. Nexus forces destroyed the wall as night fell and slaughtered every elf they could find. The city was still in utter chaos. Kun tried to rush what remained of his family out of the city but the two were ambushed by a Nexus patrol and Valtes received a gash in the eye and a poisoned arrow in the arm. Kun carried Valtes across the mountains and towards the City of Two Moons. During their journey, Valtes lost the arm hit with the poison arrow only for it to be replaced with one without flesh or sinew. Kun knew this was a sign of necromancy, a forbidden magic in Elven Lands. Regardless, Kun took him to the medic as soon as he reached the city. Prime General Broxen discovered the truth about Valtes and ordered his exile while demoting Kun and putting him on suspension for a year. As Valtes regained his strength, Kun secured passage to Estann City where necromancy was accpted and Valtes could be safe. When they boarded the surprising seaworthy vessel, neither knew how long it'd be before they'd see their home again. = Estann City It didn't take long to discover that King Estann was a tyrant. Political prisoners were starved in jails. Elves were forced into ghetto's and barred from intermixing with the rest of the city. Valtes and Kun joined together with Obrin, Forrest, Chaunci, and Antonio in a pact to depose the king. After spending the night with the blacksmith's daughter, Kun slipped into the alienage and into the estate of a minor noble that always kept Estann's ear. Determined to prove that the quarantine was a hoax, Kun found only more atrocities. The noble kept elven slaves. He and his men reguarly had their way with the women. Finally encountering the lord in the dungeon, Kun was too late to save the noble's final victim. Vaeranna had been raped, beaten, and finally had her throat slit. The top of her ears had been hacked off. The blood was still warm when Kun put his finger to it. The city watch noticed a patrol missing and rung the bells. Before long Kun and his new friends were surrounded on all sides by Estann's soldiers. The party escorted the remaining elves out of the city along with the blacksmith's daughter. She was killed by an arrow just as she was reaching the top of the wall. It was only then that Kun realized that though he'd already lost so many loved ones, he wouldn't get the luxury of burying a single one of them. = Kun's Empire During the following two years, the historical record becomes less clear. Few primary accounts of the heroes of old exist of this bleak period, and those that do often offer starkly different accounts of the events. Strange reports began emerging from the Wild Lands. People whispered that Ishum, the God of War, had awoken to unite the elves. Some say Kun came up with the plan of fooling the Dark and Snow Elves into thinking he had come to fulfill their prophecy. Others suggest Valtes must have had a hand. Forrest betrayed the Heroes of Old when he killed several snow elf chieftains during an assembly with Kun. His reasons for the betrayal are unknown, but his actions actually helped clear the way for Kun's rise to power after Kun defeated his old ally. Before long, the Tashar Empire was an emerging power that seemed to sprout out of nowhere. It was around this time that Kun abandoned his old name Deroden and the old life that had crumbled around him along with it. He took the surname Tharian after the legendary King Tharian who is said to have held the three elven empires together even before the the Elven Golden Age. Tashar, the newly proclaimed capital of all elves was built from nothing in only a year. When Prime General Broxen sent a courier with the message officially dismissing Kun from the Holy Order he received nothing but ill news from it. First of all, the courier came back two months later than expected. Only a handful of outsiders visited the capital before it was finished. While primarily composed of civilized Snow and Dark Elves, High Elves were themselves not an uncommon sight as many displaced elves oppressed by King Estann found shelter in Kun's ranks. While some in the empire worshipped him as their God-King, others may have just seen him merely as a leader that elves needed. Even less common were those who flocked to his cause from the High Elven lands. Below is one of the few written accounts of a high elf joining the Tashar Empire. Though an atypical case, the letter offers a unique perspective because of it's writer--the courier sent to deliver Kun's dismissal. Prime General Broxen, If you're reading this it is because I've abandoned my post. Don't bother looking for me. The forrest protects her kin. I am not the first to leave for Tashar. I won't be the last. None of them have left you a note. But none of them knew what they were chasing either. I do. That's why I had to leave this. Last cycle, I prayed to the Father for rain for then I was but an honest farmer.The drought lasted months, the grass dried up, and three of my animals died. This cycle, the Wall of Yrthral fell. Young men died, so I became a soldier. I prayed to the Father for protection and so far I've survived. I remember as a small boy, my father brought my brother and I to visit Estann. During the trip, we had to travel through the Wild Lands. I remembered the stories he told me, perhaps only to keep me quiet, but the air of the place, that terrifying silence was constant company on the journey. Any moment, the Snow Elves might pounce to nibble on your bones. When I went back, I was unnerved, afraid of what the patrol that finally found me would do. But these elves looked nothing like those from the stories. Body paint and furs were replaced with bronze armor that reflected only under the twin moons. Though cautious, they did escort me to the capital. I've never seen anything like it. All the structures were rooted to the earth. The aesthetic was not unlike our own though. The mage towers spiraled. The Temples were built of a blue-white stone that seemed to fuse together with the stump of a wide tree, whose brown color rapidly started fading to match the frosty stone. It was-- it was like the City of Two Moons blooming from the earth. A divine gift. Since the day she was born I prayed for my daughter's well-being. But that did nothing to stop the Legion or the Nexus. She was taken from me during the last raid. I heard some Snow Elves call him Dolansar. Lord Ishum. Kun Tharian. Heretic. What does a name mean when, his walls stand while ours do not? Maybe Tashar was built using forgotten dark elf magic. The imbued bronze armor a mere illusion. It doesn't matter. Damn the Father. If he lives, he surely wishes to spite us elves. God or no, perhaps Ishum will answer my prayers. -Trainee Aelys Seleron Kun the Conqueror After building an empire for two long years composed of elves and their allies, Kun began receiving increased scrutiny for his restraint in beginning to seige Estann City. Many in the cause had joined for the sole purpose of deposing King Estann, rarely considering the fact that Kun had been building a government. The truth is, the thirst for vengeance against that despot was never far from Kun's mind, he merely understood the need to gain strength and allies in order to have a chance at breaking through the heavily fortified gates of the city. Still Kun's persona as the god of war Ishum started to come into question. A group of inexperienced snow elven chieftains approached Kun one day while he was sparring with his personal guard. They approached him and introduced him to their champion, Vey'las the Brute. Adherring to their ancient traditions, the chiefs explained to Kun that they doubted his incredulous claims to godhood due to his relatively insular policies. After a short pause, Kun asked for his sword. The chief's began to show their unease. He asked his guard to bar the doors and for Vey'las to brandish his weapon. After making short work of him, many chieftains fell to their knees and began to pray. Denying help from his personal guard, Kun slew all fifteen rebellious chiefs in cold-blood. Only then did he hear the growing crowd outside the gates. He asked a few of the guard to gather the bodies and join him on the large balcony overlooking the capital. He commanded the chiefs corpses to be dropped from the battlements. "Have I not given you enough?" Kun began. "I who have always fought for you, yet now you question my rule. Damn your chiefs. I am Emperor Ishum. Have you forgotten what it means to have an elven empire? You do not make demands of me, we make demands of others. Never forget your birthright." Cleverly, Kun added. "I'd give you the forests around our borders, and across the world. But they are already yours. Take them." As Kun left the balcony for the palace, some in the crowd began to cheer. Others were still in shock at the mangled remains of their leaders piled on high on top of one another. Meanwhile, a rogue dark elven sorceror took over the burgeoning town of Kearath. Rather than simply sending in troops to control the situation, Kun decided to personally take charge. Sneaking in with only a handful of his Royal Guard, Kun smahed the mage rebellion and brought those powerful spellcasters into his personal retinue. Wherever Kun went order seemed to follow, order of his own liking. Ambitious elves heeded their Emperor's decree and began building settlements in the thick forests of northern Garasun and west Estann as well as the sparse forests in the neighboring islands that made up Rovar. The High Overlord of Garasun refused to take this affront to his territory lightly. He personally led his impressive army into the forrest to root out the elves and their allies. The troops were dumbfounded when they entered the forrest and failed to find anyone, even in the first settlement of Veillenar. At least at first. Kun leapt from a tree near the High Overlord and his generals determined to face his foe in single combat. A situation that at first looked dire for Kun quickly shifted in the other direction. Elven arrows took the orcs and their allies by surprise as did the continued volleys by the spell-casters gained in Kaerath and being led by his brother Valtes. Soon the regular troops began to arrive as well and started to rout those from Garasun. As the High Overlord started to order a full retreat Kun literally cut him off, taking the lull in combat as an opportunity to slice his throat with a knife he kept in his belt. Shocked at their leader's death, they no longer needed the command to know it was time to run. The army was picked off by arrows and magic as they fled the forrest. While not yet abandoning claims to the land, most in Garasun learned well on that day who the forrest belonged to. Oddly, King Estann never sent a large force to challenge elven claims and instead choosing to build the defenses of Estann City even higher. Fewer elves made their way to the islands of Rovar. They created a small, but well-disciplined insurgency. The always weak government of the island chain doubted they had any chance of taking on Kun's full force. Some began to defect to the rebels believing that conditions would be better for them if they cooperated with Kun's lackey's from the start. They were right. Kun eventually sent only a small naval force to support in the final assault of their capital. It's all they needed, as some combination of admiration and fear caused most citizens to abandon their hope of sovereignty and join the ever-growing insurgency. In return, Kun allowed the people of Rovar semi-autonomy in the greater empire though elves and other representatives from the mainland were often said to exist above their laws. Between the Battle of Veillenar and Kun's direct involvement with Rovar, the powers of the world began to recognize Kun's dramatic rise to power. Among them were King Anderton XVI of Argen-Guard. A shrewd diplomat, Anderton knew he could find an ally in dealing with the troll incursions into his homeland in Kun. An important symbolic enemy of newly nationalistic elves, Anderson wrote to Kun requesting his aid. Rather than responding by letter, Kun answered by arriving in Argen-Guard with five of his finest newly constructed warships and a party of his most trusted allies ready to aid the King. Kun and his personal guard marched to the palace to display their power as well as protect Kun from any potential traps. Knowing how to wrestle any situation to his own advantage, Kun immediately pressed the information he had gained from his advisors. Anderton needed him more than he needed Anderton. Kun knew that the King's only direct descendant was his daughter Natasha and that the remaining trolls, barbaric as they were, posed a greater threat to Argen-Guard than most cared to admit. Kun approached the throne in feigned ignorance of the King's letter and instead claimed he came only to ask for his daughter's hand. Natasha (the Lesser, as he would later call her privately to his brother and close friends) was instantly smitten with him. In a letter that would prove foolish in retrospect, Natasha confided in her uncle Kaython Anderton. : Dear Uncle, The rogue Emperor Kun arrived in court today. He boldly asked for my hand in marriage, and though I hate to admit it, I couldn't help but fall for the elf. We had tea before he left for the wall that protects us from those dastardly trolls. I had heard the stories about his cruelty but find them hard to believe. The man is more handsome than any of the other suitors that have longed for me. His eyes are deep-set as any man whose strong shoulders carry such weight ought to have. His long blonde hair which might've seemed effeminate next to my own only serves to strengthen his still youthful face. Unlike his more barbaric cousins, Kun keeps himself clean and well-mannered. The stories of his cruelty and avarice are hard to believe when he sits across from you, listening and smiling at just the right times. While he is certainly ambitious, I can see from the way he talks that he only wants protect his people by any means necessary. He says he is beset on all sides by enemies. Which is true, I suppose, if father's situation weren't so dire here he might've sent a small army to combat him. Few outside Tashar recognize his government or his right to rule, a right he certainly didn't inherit. But I admire that in him, that unlike those in my line as of late, he had to struggle for power like all ancestors of all kingdoms must have had to at some point or another. In the world of the court, it's difficult to find someone who truly doesn't care what others think of him, yet I have found that and so much more in Kun. He is charming, erudite, but with a sort of endearing melancholy in his eyes. I wish I knew what caused him such pain so I mught try to make it go away. He is world-weary, but knows he will never be finished, never be satisfied. I'd like to take on that burden with him uncle. I think I love him, and even now abhor that my father sent him off to face those trolls before we could be wed. Though I shouldn't, I do fear for him. I know he is the type that will often be away on one dangerous mission or another, but that only makes him more alluring. Anyways, the wedding is scheduled one month from today. I do hope you can make it. -Natasha Anderton Kun's campaign against the trolls was swift and brutal. Unable to let ancient grudges pass, Kun held a deep contempt for trolls as they had initiated the end of the Elven Golden Age that he hoped to return to. Now weak but desperate, the few remaining trolls of Sylvar were concentrated on the outskirts of Argen-Guard beyond an ancient barrier that had crumbled over the ages. Kun began by having his mages incense the colossal yet often docile beasts that roamed what remained of troll lands. What followed was nothing less than slaughter. Disorganized from the beasts rampages, the more regulated armies of Kun began assaulting any troll fortification they could find. Initially he didn't want to make the race extinct, but bring them to the edge of it. After a vicious, one-sided campaign aided by beasts they had tricked into subservience, a single colossal boar charged through the wall, leaving a gap large enough for the remaining trolls to invade Argen-Guard equally out of primal bloodlust and of desperation. Kun's navy arrived promptly and helped secure the embattled capital leaving only a few living trolls unaccounted for. This left only one thing to be done. Faithful to his word, the wedding between Natasha Anderton and Kun Tharian proceeded as planned. In effect, King Anderton XVI was losing his nation to an elf or at least to the half-elven child that would come from his child's marriage. Nevertheless, recognizing his debt to the elf, the King allowed Kun Tharian, the savior of the kingdom to marry his daughter. There were some who disagreed, including the secret leader of the Syndicate Kaython Anderton, the king's brother. Using his hidden agents including a former friend of Kun's, Antonio, Kaython launched an attack on Kun and Natasha's wedding ceremony. Planning to kill all involved, and to "dutifully" take the position of king for himself, Kaython used Syndicate forces to attack the ill-prepared party. Kun, however, took charge of the situation and drove Syndicate influence from the capital. The only notable casualty was King Anderton XVI himself, whose death prompted Kun's premature ascension to the throne of Argen-Guard. Kun still wary of this new threat and Natasha distraught over the death of her father escaped back to Tashar to conceive their first and only child leaving Argen-Guard an important trade capital of Kun's growing empire. Estann Civil War The time had come for Kun. The moment he'd been waiting for. Assembling a war council of him and his allies, Kun prepared for the assault on Estann City. Together with help from his friends from his days as an adventurer, they built a powerful coalition to combat the tyrannical king. Combining the might of the Tashar Empire with armies from other human kingdoms and utilizing the siege weapons of the dwarves, Kun felt prepared to tear down the supposedly impententrable walls of Estann City. And if he failed, his wife Natasha had just borne him an infant girl who might succeed him, which they agreed to name Vaeranna after Kun's sister he'd lost in his youth. Though there are no firsthand accounts written of it, it is said that Kun wept tears of joy at his daughter's birth. She was paraded around the capital after she was blessed by the priests of Kun's revitalized elven faith and the commoners whilst conflicted over her status as half-human still celebrated her arrival. A Time Beyond Sylvar II Conflicts with Obrin = Securing a Seat in the Council = Night of the Red Roses = Fight Against the Titans = Death of Valtes = Establishing Allies The Takon Massacre = The Frozen Era = The Galactic Civil War = Aftermath = Category:People Category:Player Characters